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Snow Crash
- Narrated by: Jonathan Davis
- Length: 17 hrs and 3 mins
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Summary
Only once in a great while does a writer come along who defies comparison - a writer so original he redefines the way we look at the world. Neal Stephenson is such a writer and Snow Crash is such a novel, weaving virtual reality, Sumerian myth, and just about everything in between with a cool, hip cybersensibility to bring us the gigathriller of the information age.
In reality, Hiro Protagonist delivers pizza for Uncle Enzo's CosaNostra Pizza Inc., but in the Metaverse he's a warrior prince. Plunging headlong into the enigma of a new computer virus that's striking down hackers everywhere, he races along the neon-lit streets on a search-and-destroy mission for the shadowy virtual villain threatening to bring about Infocalypse. Snow Crash is a mind-altering romp through a future America so bizarre, so outrageous...you'll recognize it immediately.
Critic reviews
"Fast-forward free-style mall mythology for the 21st century." (William Gibson)
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What listeners say about Snow Crash
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Overall
- John
- 19-01-10
A Manga mini-whirlwind
No plot spoilers here. My book club recently agreed this as a 7.5/10. As an audiobook it's well read, and, when I bought it, extremely good value. The storyline has minor flaws and the characterisation is argueably two-dimensional..but the author does an excellent job of telling an entertaining yarn with thoughtful and witty situations and asides in an overall entertaining package. This would obviously make a great Manga comic, and that is, I'm told, exactly what the author intended. In that sense the lack of depth of characterisation is understandable....in cartoon form this would be easier to allow the reader to infer. You get a lot for your money here...with some of the details and asides that flesh out this concievable (slightly sardonic) dystopia being enough to constitute a novella on their own. In the end, it doesn't necessarily deliver more than it promises, but it certainly doesn't deliver less.
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32 people found this helpful
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- Lily the Pink
- 26-09-15
Lose yourself in another world
This is a book that has found its medium. None of the author's descriptions, none of the information, is lost, which could so easily happen if it was turned into a film. But with the narration by Jonathan Davis, and the incidental sound effects, it's just perfect.
I bought this book when it was on special offer because I had a small refund voucher and I quite like science fiction. I could so easily have missed it! I think I have probably driven my whole family mad telling them how good it is and how it totally took over my journeys home for weeks. In fact I was so hooked I found I was still listening while I put the shopping away or started the evening meal.
It describes a world not very far in the future where people live in guarded enclaves and become citizens of franchised countries. Someone is trying to take over the minds of all the computer programmers in the world, and it's up to the main character, a brilliant programmer called Hiro Protagonist (yes, really, but I can forgive Neal Stephenson this one bit of self-consciousness) and his sidekick, YT a 15 year old female skateboard courier, to work out what's going on and save mankind.
That really doesn't do justice to Neal Stephenson's brilliant evocation of a world that could so nearly be ours, if things had developed differently. At first it's hard to work out what's going on but then the plot starts to unfold, and even the extended Sumerian history lesson in the middle falls into place. But it's not just about the lead characters. It has quite a cast list, all carefully voiced by Jonathan Davis, and all contributing to the story.
It's a terrific book, and I'm still trying to work out why.
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31 people found this helpful
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- Richard Putman
- 02-07-16
death by detail
I've lost consciousness more times with this audible book than any other. Excrutiating levels of detail, the purpose of every button and switch on any device and every move or thought during action sequences is painfully spelt out.
Snowcrash is the polar opposite of Neuromancer and is only suitable for those devoid of their own imagination to fill in the blanks in a story.
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25 people found this helpful
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Overall
- Tom
- 28-12-10
Great book but not ideal audio material
Neal Stephenson is a superbly imaginative writer, he shows this to great effect in 'Snow Crash'. The detail and invention of his 'Snow Crash' world is truly mind boggling.
Although I enjoyed the book, and the narration is superb, I think I would have preferred to read this on the page, as it were; although the narrative and plot hurtle along in good style, the characters are somewhat cartoon-like and two dimensional, serving largely as vehicles to carry the story, and this means that the fantasy backdrop has to carry the listener's interest for much of the 17 hours of the book - that's a long time.
One other point to note: you really need to have some knowledge and/or interest in computers and virtual reality to follow the plot.
Overall four stars, but my recommendation would be to read the book rather than listen to it.
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21 people found this helpful
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- R
- 23-09-10
A Perfect Blend
One of the difficulties with audiobooks, in particular with books that you've previously read, is finding a narrator who sounds right.
Snowcrash has been one of my favourite books for years and I was delighted to find that Jonathon Davis 'gets it'. The pacing of the story, the emphasis of the words and the voicing of the characters is pretty much spot on for me, so this audiobook gets five stars with no quibbles!
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16 people found this helpful
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- HappytobeWired
- 12-06-20
Good Narration . A satire on the Free Market?
I am assuming it is a satire on the logical extension of a Reagan/Thatcher world. Everything is run by caricature corporations. I found some of the ideas comical such as the former USA being broken io into autonomous franchises run from 3 ring binders. The idea of the Mafia looking like a safe harbour amongst the competing insanity of the world. But I was detached and unmoved. A bit too much description for my taste. I may have enjoyed it if I were 20. So maybe reading it 30 years too late.
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8 people found this helpful
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- Emma Churchouse
- 18-05-15
Hours of delicious escapism
Any additional comments?
Snow Crash was an instant favourite when first encountered as a student in the 90s (studying ancient civilisations by day, gaming by night...) and 20 years hasn't dulled it's appeal. Having it delivered straight to your ear by the smooth, effortless voice of Jonathan Davis while your body is doing other things is a definite treat - shades of the Metaverse? Some of the technology and concepts have lost their initial impact due to the passage of time but the story does not feel dated. The pace moves from fast and furious to scholarly pauses and back again with ease. The unlikely main characters are engaging for both their abilities and their flaws; the burbclaves and franchised countries are all too believable for anyone who has come across "suburb snobbery" in a modern city. And I defy any dog lover not to moved by the Rat Things. An action packed, witty, intelligently observed, bizarre, tongue in cheek vision of our near future.The narration by Jonathan Davis is animated and excellently done. A voice actor that can believably be a teenage skater chick, a computerised librarian and a Vietnamese cyborg with ease, consistency and flawless movement between each is a joy to listen to.The final word? I wish there was a way to read/listen to Snow Crash again for the first time.
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7 people found this helpful
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- DP
- 27-08-19
wasn't for me
started listening based on recommendation as I really enjoyed Ready player one. To me this was just trying too hard to be futuristic and the story didn't capture me at all. having got to chapter 34 I've just called it a day and moved on as it's just not as good as the reviews let on in my opinion. Narrator was good though.
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6 people found this helpful
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- Andrew
- 08-04-13
Great book and great narrator
This is one of my all time favourite books and listening to it read out loud was no disappointment.
The depth and tone of Jonothan Davis' voice perfectly matches the tone of the book. It is now imprinted in my memory with his voice. Excellent!
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6 people found this helpful
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- thomas christodoulides
- 25-01-18
good performance, but a hard slog overall
sorry, not for me. Not read a neal Stephenson book before and heard great things about snow crash but found it a hard slog. Although well written, there was too much technical exposition (especially the scenes with the librarian) but I suppose that's what to expect with a cyberpunk novel. I found the plot and pace too rambling too. Some effective world building and well described action at times though, and Jonathan Davis did an excellent job with the performance too. I won't go back to neal Stephenson after this though.
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5 people found this helpful